Topic: DCO third annual November Alphabet Marathon - discussion/review/banter thread

[snowcat]

The young master is a strange one :S myself and a Chinese friend  (he also speaks Chinese :p) watched it, I agree that there is poor subbing... he was laughing all the way through it ¬_¬ ... I was sitting there like :S "what?"

You should hear the dubbed version! They're done with strong British accents. It's just weird!

Chan has a very cheeky old-fashioned British style of humour though, like the bath scene in Young Master. Have you seen some of the ones he did with the other Little Dragons, Yuen Baio and Sammo Hung? A couple of them are like Carry On films with a very silly cast of Chinese comedians, including Eric Tsang.

Haha, ill have to borrow the DVD (ewww borrowing ) to see the dub it sounds hilarious, I haven't seen any of the other films ill have to look out for those too.

[Najemikon]

Not to mislead you, but I think it must have only been a couple of characters with the "ey up me, duck" accent as I spotted it in the deleted scenes. Most have got awful American voices that obviously thought they were doing a cartoon!

[snowcat]

Not to mislead you, but I think it must have only been a couple of characters with the "ey up me, duck" accent as I spotted it in the deleted scenes. Most have got awful American voices that obviously thought they were doing a cartoon!

It still sounds hilarious! ill have it tomorrow night so I can see these accents 

[richierich]

Title: XX/XY

Runtime:91
Certificate:R
Year:2002
Genres:Drama, Romance, Suspense/Thriller

Plot:They gave in to their deepest desires, but can they overcome their biggest fears? Mark Ruffalo (Windtalkers), Kathleen Robertson ("girls club") and Maya Stange (Garage Days) deliver stunning performances in this steamy, highly charged film that explores the passions of youth...and their inevitable price.
When New York animator Coles (Ruffalo) meets Sam (Stange), the attraction is immediate. And when Sam invites her hot friend Thea (Robertson) to bed with them, it's a dream come true...until ugly secrets destroy the carefree threesome. Ten years later, their very different lives converge again and Coles realizes how much he still loves Sam. but can he risk everything to tell her the naked truth?

My Review:
Moody and dull, a film more in love with itself than in entertaining its viewers.
The menage a trois beginning and the associated partying and emotional outbursts this causes creates a good beginning, but the movie slips into a boring dialogue and obvious conclusion for over an hour to follow. It is an appealing and attractive cast, but none of them are stretched and appear pretty limp with such a humourless script. The characters become too alike, there is no point or message conveyed, and the film loses its way.
Tries to be too intelligent, and lost this passenger after 20 minutes.

My Rating
 

[Rogmeister]

Disaster has struck!!!  My DVD player has stopped working.  At first, I thought my remote just needed batteries but I replaced them...still nothing.  And nothing I do seems to work.  This machine isn't even that old...maybe a couple of years.  I do have one old standby unit around which I probably haven't used in a couple of years but it might be able to still work and be a temporary replacement.  If it no longer works, either, I won't be able to continue my November marathon.  At any rate, I'll need to get a replacement and don't know if I can afford to do that until after Christmas...unless I find a decent one that's really cheap.  Any suggestions?   

[Jimmy]

Your computer

I watch everything on it, it's sure more reliable than any dvd reader I've bought...
But if you really want a stand alone reader you can't go wrong with a Phillips.

[Achim]

I like Pioneer myself. I think cheap stand-alone players are available from most popular makers.

If you consider the computer variant, then maye a TV-out card can transfer the image to your well-known screen?

[Dragonfire]

I got a cheap one at Walmart for about $40.  I think that was a few years ago.  Not sure if the price has dropped more or not.

[Kathy]

If you don't mind something a basic unit, I've seen DVD players for as little as $20. I bought 2 DVD-Rs at Big Lots for $25 - of course the only thing I use is the player (I don't know how to record  ). There are a lot of sales going on to compete for the Black Friday dollars. Some stores are starting their sales today. You can compare prices on your computer stores like Kmart, Walmart, Sears, etc.

Edit: For example - Target has a Memorex compact DVD player on sale for $19.99. The sale starts Friday at 5am.

[addicted2dvd]

Sorry to hear it Roger... but you can be thankful for when it happened. If you can hold off till Friday you should be able to find lots of options really cheap! 

[lyonsden5]

Agree with Pete on waiting till the weekend. If nothing else you may get a better player for the same price and a rock bottom player.

[Rogmeister]

Well, I won't need one for now.  I had an older player, an Emerson, hooked up to the TV here in the computer room.  I haven't used it in awhile because the TV went bad...it only shows in black & white now.  I've been meaning to get rid of the TV for some time...it's probably close to 20 years old.  BUt I took the Emerson, hooked it up to my regular TV, and it seems to be working fine so I'm okay for now.  The onlly problem is it's silver and looks out of place amongst my other black machines... 

[Rogmeister]

The Long Riders (1980)  99m
Director: Walter Hill
Music: Ry Cooder
Cast: David Carradine, Keith Carradine, Robert Carradine, James Keach, Stacy Keach, Dennis Quaid, Randy Quaid, Christopher Guest, Nicholas Guest, Harry Carey Jr., Pamela Reed

This was another western about the James-Younger gang but it was done with a bit of a twist.  Each set of brothers was played by a set of actual brothers...so you had the Carradines playing the Younger brothers, James and Stacy Keach playing Jesse and Frank James, Dennis and Randy Quaid playaing the Millers and Christopher and Nicholas Guest playing the Fords.  Pamela Reed also shows up as Belle Starr (no, she didn't look that good in real life).  It's an interesting idea (all those real brothers playing historical brothers) and it results in a fine western, definitely one of the better westerns of the 1980's.  Since this is Jesse James (and company) we're talking about, there is definitely some actual events here though they still make the outlaws perhaps a bit more likeable than they actually were in real life but I still enjoy this film and have no qualms about recommending it.  I've had this DVD awhile and there are unfortunately no real extras...just the trailer.  I would definitely vote for this getting a special edition but this is all we have for now, I think.  A first-rate western.   

[snowcat]

Roger don't you have a PS2? :p there you go perfect DVD player replacement! Im glad I have so many consoles that play DVDs Id be lost without them XD (I have a habit of killing DVD players)

My current DVD player was just £10 its also region free it was part of a clear out sale in a little shop that was closing

[Najemikon]

The Wrestler
5 out of 5



Back in the late '80s, Randy "The Ram" Robinson (Mickey Rourke) was a headlining professional wrestler. Now, twenty years later, he ekes out a living performing for handfuls of diehard wrestling fans in high school gyms and community centres around New Jersey. Estranged from his daughter (Evan Rachel Wood) and unable to sustain any real relationships, Randy lives for the thrill of the show and the adoration of his fans. However, a heart attack forces him into retirement. As his sense of identity starts to slip away, he begins to evaluate the state of his life - trying to reconnect with his daughter, and striking up a romance with an ageing stripper (Marisa Tomei). Yet all this cannot compare to the allure of the ring and passion for his art, which threatens to pull Randy "The Ram" back into his old world of sporting glory.

This film is a refreshing change. It's powerful, almost unassuming in it's simplicity, and works because a small number of people do what they do very, very well. Good solid, old fashioned film-making.

The story of The Ram is a sad and a lonely one and there is no real plot to speak of. Darren Aronofsky's camera just quietly follows Randy as he struggles to accept his wrestling career may be over and the relationship with his daughter (small, but sparky performance from Wood) never further away. In a way, it reminded me of The Hunter with Steve McQueen in it's low-key, almost meandering script, except that was much lighter in tone. As you'd expect from the director of Requiem for a Dream, this is much tougher, with a camera that refuses to look away as Randy lays himself bare.

It's poignant and bitter-sweet, but it does have a lot of comedy moments. Just like life really, and it's that gritty hand-held realism that allows such moments to shine in the perfectly judged tone. For all that though, with any other actor than Mickey Rourke in the title role, I can't see it working as well. I know that's really easy to say, but this is a monumental performance and so heartfelt. Rourke was always good when he allowed himself to be and he has natural charisma and a delivery you can't ignore. He plays Randy as hurt, but the steel in the character is right there too.

We first see him post-match and it's immediately obvious how much pain simply moving around causes him. He's a broken down relic, who can't see how out-dated he is and Rourke makes sure we feel every rattling breath and creaking joint throughout the film. The big old brawler might be tough, but he'll break your heart too, especially in the scenes with his daughter and trying to find comfort in a trailer at the arse end of life or signing autographs with other ageing wrestlers. Of course, as every review of this film says, Randy is Rourke. He'd pissed his career away and this role couldn't have been better suited for him. The irony is, he is at his best to portray this performance and the training regime couldn't have been one to take on easily.

He does look the part and again, just like the actor, Randy is at home in the ring. There are several wrestling scenes that are brutal! Another irony: the sport may be fake, but the passion isn't and the lengths they go to are barbaric. They pump up with drugs before a bout and the in-ring on-purpose stunts range from a nasty forehead gash with a razor hidden in his straps, to the clash that finally causes his heart to give out. Yours may do too as you watch them use glass, barb wire, staples and even a spectators false leg at one point! Urgh! Why anyone would put themselves through such torture, I can't imagine, but Aronofsky presents a world of respect and friendship amongst all the wrestlers, young and old. Far more respect than in the real world and it's a highlight when Randy finally loses his patience in his deli job. It didn't help they called him by his real name, Robin. He is so tied up in his own image, he protests that his name is "Randy".

He forms a touching, awkward romance with Cassidy (Marisa Tomei), another ageing performer losing respect, this time as a stripper. She too hides behind a false name, but has a clear and reliable distinction between her two sides. Still doesn't stop her anxiety though as she is losing her edge in a young womans world. She just isn't good looking enough! This is absurd though and perhaps the closest the film comes to a mis-step because Tomei is in fantastic shape. I would say that, she is long-time favourite, but still, she is gorgeous and brave too. Edging Rourke's bare performance by actually being bare for a good portion of the film, she is fantastic. Vulnerable and raw, but feisty, she is a good match for Rourke.

This is a great film that is much better than it had to be. The plot is unambitious, possibly even predictable, but it has masses of heart, stark performances and some heart-stopping moments, pardon the pun.